Gate assembly



1965 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 I 19 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT OR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 2.9 2 1:] d CEBU K113i POSITION PRINTS IN RUN [3/ (23 SEARCH /REPEAT PRINTS PER FRAME ROBERT W MOQRHUSEN BY W at.

ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN GATE AS 5 EMBLY 19 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 1, 1965 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN 13W ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1968 Filed Oct. 1, 1965 R. W. MOORHUSEN GATE AS SEMBLY 19 Shets-Sheet 4 VACUUM SOURCE AIR SOURCE 'iNvENToR. ROBERT W. MOO RHUSEN A T TOR/VEYS 1963 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,4

GATE AS SEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. ROBERT w. MOORHUSEN w /flu A T TORNEYS 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 6

"INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN ATTORNEIG FIG. /5

Nov. 5, 1968 Filed Oct. 1,

FIG: 7

R. W. MOORHUSEN GATE ASSEMBLY FIG. 8

19 Sheets-Sheet '1' INVENTOR. ROBERT w. MOORHUSEN nrromevs 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE AS SEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN 08.4; ATTORNEKS 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY l9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Oct. 1, 1965 INVENTOR. ROBERT \M MOORHUSEN ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,354

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 QQ 6Q INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MO ORHUSEN day/flaw ATTORNEYS 1963 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 filhhhhhhhhhh 111 4" k a O Q o INVENTOR.

ROBERT w MOORHUSEN :Q: B a W ATTORNEYS Nov. 5, 1968 R w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 @R R 'gm owk k INVENTOR.

ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN A TTORNEYS 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet l4 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN My flaw A TTORNE VS NOV. 5, 1988 R MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN A 7'7'ORNEYS 5, 1968 R, w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. MOORHUSEN flaw,

ATTORNE Y5 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet l7 SEPARATION AMPLIFIER MODULATOR 445 HEATER HEATER 3 I:

SUPPLY SUPPLY INVENTOR. ROEERT W. MOORHUSEN A 1 y w. M

#3 7' TORNE VS 5, 1968 R. w. MOORHUSEN 3,409,364

' GATE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1965 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 I v as O1 Ql A T TORNEYS 1963 R. w. MOORHUSEN GATE AS SEMBL 19 Sheet 19 Filed Oct. 1' 5 I INVENTOR. ROBERT W MOORHUSEN United States Patent York Filed Oct. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 491,911 6 Claims. (Cl. 355-92) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The gating assembly is for use within a contact printing device which contains a web of duplicating material and a web of negative film. The assembly includes a pivotally mounted parallelogram frame which supports a pneumatically inflated cylinder. The cylinder translates the web of duplicating material superposed on a web of negative film to maintain the webs in intimate contact against the topside of a platen during the exposure of the sensitized duplicating material to the negative. The parallelogram frameis pivotable between two positions, one position in which the cylinder urges the webs together and another position in which the webs are released from firm contact. An illumination device is positioned on the underside of the platen opposite the cylinder. The illumination device transgresses the platen in correspondence to the movement of the cylinder.

This invention relates to photography and, more particularly, to apparatus for contact exposure of raw photographic materials from photographic negatives.

In contact printing, as the name implies and as understood in the art, sensitized duplicating film, paper, or the like, is exposed while in physical contact with a negative to be reproduced. As used herein, the term negative is intended to encompass a transparency on which the image can be either a negative or positive in a photographic sense. Generally speaking, care must be exercised in main taining the negative and duplicating in firm contact .during exposure in order to obtain the best possible resolution. Also it has been found that poor surface contact during exposure causes a light scattering effect which forms rings or fringes, referred to as Newton rings or fringes, on the photographic materials thereby detracting from the quality of the image produced. It is usual to hold the negative and duplicating material together in the printing zone by means of a gate which is in the form of a rigid platen that clamps the negative and duplicating material against a support. With the present day demand for mass production of photographic exposures of the highest possible quality, resoultion, and acutance from roll film negatives, such as those used in aerial photography, the existing gate assemblies are generally unsuitable.

In accordance with the present invention, a rolling pneumatic bag is used to maintain firm contact between the negative and duplicating material during a scan type illumination. A parallelogram type linkage is provided for raising the bag during transport of the photographic materials to and from the printing zone.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide new and improved gate apparatus for a contact printer.

It is another object of this invention to provide gate apparatus for a contact printer capable of producing high resolution prints.

It is still another object of this invention to provide tus;

gate apparatus in a contact printer capable of automatic operation so as to obtain high print rates.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide apparatus that eliminates Newton fringes during contact exposure of raw photographic materials from negatives.

These and other features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of the contact printer apparatus hereof;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the control panel;

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the contact printer apparatus; I

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the contact printer with the doors removed;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the contact printer appara- FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the window shade assembly;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of the storage assembly with portions broken away to show internal structure;

FIGURE 8 is a front view of FIGURE 7; I

FIGURE 9 is a view of the variable coefficient damper assembly with portions broken away to show internal structure;

FIGURE 10 is a view of the transport capstan assem y;

FIGURE 11 is a block diagram of the system for starting and stopping the film transport;

FIGURE 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the film drive support;

FIGURES 13A through 13F are sectional views of the film drive support taken along lines A-A through FF, respectively of FIGURE 12;

FIGURES 14 and 15 are a plan and side view, respectively, of the articulated idler assembly;

FIGURES 16 and 17 are side elevation and plan views, respectively, of the film gate assembly partly broken away to show internal components;

FIGURE 18 is an end view of the gate assembly taken along line 18-18 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 19 is a sectional view of the lamp house assembly taken along line 1919 of FIGURE 16;

FIGURE 20 is another sectional view of the lamp house assembly taken along line 20--20 of FIGURE 17;

FIGURE 21 is a block diagram illustrating the exposure control system;

FIGURE 22 is a schematic electrical diagram of the separation amplifier for the exposure control system; and

FIGURE 23 is an electrical circuit diagram of the scan drive and gate assembly.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the apparatus includes a cabinet 11 having a control panel 12 on which are mounted various selector knobs, buttons, and indicators used for controlling the operation of the machine. For example, certain controls are used to set the printing cycle, while others deermine inputs to the automatic exposure control system in a manner which will become apparent. Observation by an operator of the frame position of the negative is obtained through a glass viewer 14 adjacent the control panel. The interior of the printer is protected from light entering through viewer 14 by a suitable light shield not shown. On the sides of the cabinet are sliding doors 15 through which entry may be made for loading the negative and duplicating material and for general servicing of the apparatus. 

